Transcript Electricity - Bedford Academy

Electricity
A look at some of the historical figures who
developed our knowledge of electricity.
Alessandro Volta






Born: 1745 in Coma,
Italy.
Died: 1827
Famous For:
- invented the
electrophorus
- studied atmospheric
electricity
- invented the voltaic
pile
Count Volta



Alessandro Volta was a curious man who
made many discoveries about electricity,
meteorology and even pneumatics.
While he was a professor at the Royal
School in Coma he invented the
electrophorus.
The electrophorus was a device that created
static electricity but he noted that despite
his best efforts it was hard to maintain a
constant level of energy.
The Voltaic Pile
After being appointed the professor of
Physics at the University of Pavia Volta
created the voltaic pile.
 Using alternating layers of zinc and
copper, which were separated by brine
(salty water) soaked pieces of cardboard,
Volta created the first battery that could
produce a steady, reliable electrical
current.

Voltaic Pile
Georg Simon Ohm





Born: March 16, 1789
(Bavaria)
Died: July 6, 1854
Famous For:
- Ohm’s Law
- led to our
mathematical
understanding of the
relationship between
voltage, current and
resistance.
Ohm’s Law
The fundamental importance of Georg
Ohm is that he is the first person to truly
define the relationship between voltage,
resistance and current in mathematical
terms.
 That sounds odd but once we can
understand things mathematically we can
begin to explore, understand and theorize
in ways we could only imagine
beforehand.

Ohm’s Importance
Ohm’s understanding and defining of
electricity was not widely accepted at
first.
 However, many believe his discovery to
be one of the most important and most
useful ones.
 We even have an electrical term known
as an Ohm.

Ohm’s Law
V = Voltage
 I = Current
 R = Resistance

V=IxR
 I = V/R
 R = V/I

Benjamin Franklin
Born: Jan. 17, 1706
Died: Apr. 17, 1790
Famous For:
- Proved lightning was
a form of static
electricity
- Politician
- Inventor
- Printer
BENJAMIN’S
EXPERIMENT.
Using a kite with a wet string and a key Benjamin
proved the electrical nature of lightning.
Luigi Galvani – 1737 - 1798
Luigi Galvani
Physician
 1786; while examining a dead frog he
noticed that a spark could make the legs
move.
 His explorations into this and the two
different metals he used led him to
conclude that muscles use electricity to
move.
